


Inhibitions

by fallenangel860



Series: Inhibitions [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Boys Kissing, Drinking, Drunken Flirting, Drunken Kissing, M/M, consent is important
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:07:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24112537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallenangel860/pseuds/fallenangel860
Summary: After watching the Ember Island Players, no one is happy. Zuko and Sokka decide to relax with a bottle of wine which leads to some surprising admissions and Zuko and Sokka learning some things about themselves and each other. Thank you to NaughtyHobbit for being my Beta for this.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Inhibitions [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1806592
Comments: 15
Kudos: 557





	1. Chapter 1

The group was sullen as they made their way back to the beach house. The play, which had been intended as a lighthearted diversion, had instead dampened everyone's spirits. Even Toph had become somber at the devastating climax. Sokka supposed that they should have known better than to expect a happy ending from a play produced in the fire nation. If any of them had been thinking properly, it would have been obvious that the play wouldn't end with the Avatar's successful defeat of the Fire Lord and the subsequent freedom of the world from the tyranny of the Fire Nation. Zuko in particular was more sullen than the rest as they trudged back to their hideout. He threw the door open with unnecessary force and stalked through the darkened halls without so much as palming a flame to light his way. Sokka decided to follow him as Zuko stormed past the courtyard and bed chambers and down a hall that none of them had bothered to explore as of yet.

Zuko heard footsteps behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Sokka following, though not bothering to try and close the distance as though he were unsure if he should. Zuko decided to ignore him. “Uh, I think you overshot your room. You know, back there,” Sokka added awkwardly gesturing even though Zuko had already turned away and couldn't see. “You were probably just too busy moodily walking away to notice. That's fine. That play was terrible” Sokka had a tendency to ramble on when he didn't know what else to do.

Zuko stopped abruptly and spun around causing Sokka to nearly walk into him. There was anger etched into his face. “Terrible?” He was nearly shouting. If everyone else wasn't feeling so demoralized themselves, someone would probably have come running to see what the fuss was about. “My people were cheering my death. I don't think terrible covers it.”

Sokka winced at that. Being portrayed badly was one thing, discovering that the people that you were likely going to rule over were happily applauding your fake demise in the theater was a whole different level of disheartening. “For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I wish I never even suggested going to that stupid play.”   
Zuko's shoulders slumped and the anger leeched out of him. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “It's not your fault. I should have argued against going. I should have expected it.” He chuckled bitterly. “Uncle always said I don't think things through. I've seen enough to know that what we were taught all our lives in the fire nation is little more than propaganda, but most of the people who live here don't know that. They've been taught from childhood that the war is just, that our nation is great and that the other nations fight just to retaliate against our superiority and greatness. It was stupid of me to assume that ending the war would be seen as anything other than a defeat to my people. I knew that if we managed to win I would have to take my father's place as Fire Lord whether I wanted to or not, there's no other option. I just never really thought about how the rest of the nation would feel about it. I guess I figured being crowned the rightful successor would be enough for them to follow me. I've been an idiot to think that.”

Sokka reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “Hey. You can't give up. We all feel pretty crappy right now. It wasn't just _your_ death they were cheering. They want us all to lose. We can't let that stop us from trying though. It's not going to be easy and if... no, when we win you're going to have it hardest of all... but we've got your back.”

Zuko took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Right. Come on then.” He turned and began walking away.

Sokka scrambled to catch up. “Uh, where are we going?”

“The store rooms.”

“Oh the store rooms. Nice.” Sokka pretended to understand but gave up the pretense quickly. “Why? You said no one's been here for years, right? Won't they be empty? What are we looking for exactly, weapons, armor...?”

“No. Nothing like that.” Their journey ended at a set of steps leading down into a cellar. Zuko conjured a small flame and cupped it in his palm and the two boys descended. Zuko stopped in front of a large wooden door and pulled it open on groaning hinges. He set his flame to a sconce inside the door which flared to life, illuminating the room beyond. Rows of shelves lined the windowless room, half filled with dusty bottles. Zuko wandered to a far corner and scanned the shelves.

Sokka followed suit. He picked a bottle from a shelf at random and wiped the fine coating of dust from the paper label pasted to it's side. Neatly written script gave a date, location, name (presumably the brewery), and the characters for Fire Whiskey. “You brought us to the alcohol stores?”

Zuko shrugged. “Technically it's called a wine cellar, but yeah.”

Sokka was confused. “But...why?”

Zuko sighed heavily. “Because. After watching that atrocity and thinking about what we're all up against, I just want to be able to relax and forget about it. Just for a little while.” He was getting worked up again. “My whole life has been a struggle and a fight and there's always more to come. I just... I just want to ignore it all for one damn night. I can face it in the morning but for once I want to just let go.”

Sokka looked at him solemnly meeting his eyes. “That doesn't seem like a very healthy coping mechanism.”

Zuko wilted under the scrutiny. “What else is new?” He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sorry. I know, it's not, and I'm not exactly going to make a habit of it. I just want one night. You don't have to stay. I just figured it might be nice to have some company.”

“No, no. I'll stay. You're right. We've all been overworked and wound up lately. The play was supposed to fix that but...” he grimaced. “Obviously it didn't help. I think we deserve one night. So,” He looked around at the bottles lining the shelves surrounding them, “I guess you know a lot about this stuff, being royalty and all. You know, what things pair best with what foods and which years and distilleries are the best and all that,” he clarified.

Zuko returned to scouring the shelves. “Not really. I was banished when I was 13, not exactly old enough to learn the complicated social etiquette of what liquors to serve to what ranks of officials or how good the quality should be. Before I'd left I was only old enough to have the occasional glass of watered wine at high society functions. And after I was banished... well, sailors are more interested in quantity and strength than about the quality of what they buy. What I do know,” he said plucking a bottle from the top shelf and looking over the label before handing it over to Sokka, “is that the best stuff is always kept on the highest shelves.”

Sokka smiled. “I like the way you think.”

Zuko shrugged. “It's plum wine,” he gestured to the bottle in Sokka's hand. “There's plenty of Sake and Whiskey here too but, they're more of an acquired taste,” Zuko said wrinkling his nose. “I wouldn't recommend them.”

Sokka laughed. “Sounds like you're speaking from experience.” He lowered himself to sit against the wall by the door, the only space not filled with shelves. Zuko sat across from him in the same stiff backed cross legged pose he always did. _He definitely needed to lighten up a bit_ , Sokka thought.

“I lived on a ship for 3 years with a crew of disgraced naval officers. Their contraband wasn't hard to find. Although, after one or two occasions where I was brave enough to sneak a sip they didn't have to worry about me drinking it on them.” He made a face. “You're welcome to that if you want,” he gestured at the bottle of fire whiskey that Sokka had forgotten he'd also been holding, “but don't say I didn't warn you.”

Sokka smirked. That, he decided, had sounded suspiciously like a dare. He put down the plum wine and uncorked the bottle in his hand. “You're probably just too sensitive. I'll be fine.” He held the bottle to his lips and sucked in a mouthful. He regretted it instantly. It tasted like flaming lamp oil. It tasted like flaming lamp oil and it was going to eat through him like fire eats through snow. He struggled not to make a face and forced himself to swallow only to start choking as it burned its way down his throat. Zuko chuckled. Sokka didn't have it in him to care. He was too preoccupied with fanning his burning tongue as it lolled from his open mouth. “Ugh. Seriously, does everything in this country have to set your mouth on fire?” He looked at the bottle still clutched in his hand like it had personally offended him. “Who even drinks this stuff, masochists?”

Zuko reached out and plucked the bottle from Sokka's hand. He swallowed a mouthful with little more than a slight grimace and the wrinkling of his nose in distaste. “I did try to warn you,” he said smirking. He set the bottle aside. “And not everything in the Fire Nation burns. Try the wine.”

Sokka picked up the nearly forgotten bottle sitting at his side. He uncorked it before looking briefly around the room. “Uh, shouldn't we find some cups?”

Zuko's face screwed up in confusion. “Why? You didn't care about cups when it came to the whiskey.”

It was Sokka's turn to shrug. “I know but, I don't know. Wine just seems so fancy.”

Zuko practically gaped at him. “In a few more weeks, Aang will face the Fire Lord, we'll face the Fire Nation army and my sister, and the whole country would be happy to see us fail. I think we're beyond worrying about cups.” With that, the jovial mood was broken. The banter they'd begun was replaced with the grim reality that had brought them here in the first place. Sokka pressed the wine to his lips and drank to drive away the specters that pressed in on them. There was none of the fiery burn of the whiskey this time. The wine had a fruity sweetness that Sokka would readily admit was quite pleasing. Some of the wine dribbled down his chin as the bottle was unceremoniously pulled away. “Take it easy or you'll end up regretting it.”

Sokka wiped the spilled wine away with his forearm. “I'm fine,” He argued belligerently. Zuko eyed him skeptically but said nothing more. It was then that the bitter aftertaste of the alcohol hit.

“What do you think? About the wine.”

Sokka considered. “Not bad. Sweet, a little tangy. I don't feel like I'm breathing fire so that's a plus. I could do without the aftertaste though.”

Zuko sipped more sparingly than Sokka had. He wanted to relax, sure, but he had no intention of dealing with a pounding headache in the morning. He let the wine linger in his mouth before swallowing and hummed in agreement. “It takes a little getting used to. After a few more sips you won't really notice.”

Sokka eyed him suspiciously. “I thought you said you didn't really know much about alcohol.”

Zuko smirked. “I don't know anything about etiquette, or pairing, or distilleries, but I have had decent wine before. His smirk became a sneer. “Zhou just loved inviting me and uncle to join him for drinks when we happened to be in the same port. Really, he just liked to try and embarrass me or throw my failures in my face. I wouldn't have even accepted except that uncle always thought that it was a good way to keep tabs on him. I guess at least I got to waste his money with his _hospitality_. And I learned a thing or two about making sure I didn't go overboard when it came to liquor. He never did get to gloat about the disgraced prince making a drunken fool of himself the way I'm sure he would have loved to.” He passed the bottle back to Sokka who took another deep draught. After several more sips, or gulps in Sokka's case, the tension had once again begun to melt away.


	2. Chapter 2

An hour or so later the bottle was decidedly more empty than not. Only a few mouthfuls sloshed at the bottom as Sokka waved the bottle while he described what Zuko could only imagine was a wildly embellished tale of a daring test of seamanship. Zuko snatched the bottle from him. “Hey!” Sokka yelped.

Zuko studied the contents and looked at the other boy. Sokka was swaying back and forth. The water tribe boy's naturally dark skin was ruddy and flushed and his eyes had a glassy look to them. Zuko's own face felt warmer than usual, even in the coolness of the underground cellar. He was feeling loose limbed and relaxed. He set the bottle aside, out of reach of Sokka's grabby hands. Drinking any more would likely be a bad idea. Zuko was fairly sure that Sokka had already had twice as much as him and was going to be in for a nasty headache in the morning. Zuko had dealt with enough overly intoxicated sailors to know that nothing good came from drinking nearly half a bottle of wine, especially since Sokka had clearly never had any before and hadn't developed any kind of tolerance. “I think that's enough.” Sokka looked like he was going to argue, but Zuko distracted him easily enough, asking how he managed to keep from destroying his boat on the rocky currents. His face tingled pleasantly and his head felt fuzzy, but Zuko's mind was clear enough. He wasn't sure if could say the same for his companion.

“Kataaarrra bent thiis huge wave, like whoosh,” Sokka waved his arms, simulating the mountain of water, “and sploosh,” His arms swept clumsily down, “we ssailed riiight ovver them.” He grinned. Zuko gently shook his head before realizing the action made him dizzy and smiled in amusement. “H-how about you? D'you have anyy excitiing ssstoriesss?”

Zuko thought a moment and frowned. “Not really. Life in the palace was pretty boring, and after... I was too busy chasing legends to have fun.” He smirked. “The only exciting stories I really have are from when I was busy chasing you.”

Sokka threw his hands in the air dramatically. “Come oooon. There'ss gotta be sssomth'ng you did that I havn't hearrd.”

Zuko frowned again but then grinned as a memory slowly materialized. “Well, there might be one thing. Have you heard of the blue spirit?”

“Sssure.” the grin slipped from Zuko's face. “Hiss wanted possterss been on nearly every notice board we've seen.”

Zuko raised his eyebrow in interest. “Is that all you've heard?”

Sokka shrugged. “Pretty much.”

The grin returned and Zuko began his story. Zuko was not a story teller. He made no crazy embellishments. He didn't gesticulate wildly or even speak over-enthusiastically. He told the story in a measured calm tone, neither emphasizing the daring escape nor the fights with the fire benders and archers guarding the stronghold, or even the daring gambit he'd played that had gotten him knocked unconscious and nearly caught. Every word was precise and matter of fact. It didn't matter. Sokka was leaning forward in rapt attention, his eyes wide as he clung to every word. Zuko worried that Sokka was precariously close to falling over and landing face first in his lap. He hoped that the other boy could manage to maintain his balance and spare them both the embarrassment. His story, unfortunately ended unceremoniously and abruptly with, “One of the archers managed to hit me in the head with a weighted arrow and knocked me out. I would have been captured if Aang hadn't ended up rescuing me.”

“What?!” Sokka began to tumble forward but caught himself before he could fall on his face. “Why didn't Aang everr tell us that sstory? What happened after?”

A frown tugged at Zuko's lips. “It probably didn't seem like such a good story to him. When I woke up, my mask was off. He, he asked me... if we'd met 100 years ago if I though we could have been friends. I think he was hoping I'd say yes. But I was still confused back then and I wasn't ready to think about the Avatar just being a kid... or even a person really. I couldn't if I still planned to turn him over to my father, so I shot a fire blast over his shoulder to scare him off instead.”

Sokka attempted to whistle, but didn't quite manage to. “That was sssoo much better than my story.” Sokka slumped back against the wall and pouted. “I wissh I was half ass cool as you. I mean, you're a fire bender AND a master swordsman? Not fair.”

“Hey.” Sokka looked up, meeting Zuko's gaze. “Don't sell yourself short. You might not be a bender, but you're still a good fighter. You're resourceful and you outsmart your enemies. Anyone can swing a sword with enough training, but you can't teach someone to think the way you do.”

Sokka looked skeptical. “You actually mean that?”

Zuko nodded gently so as not to make the room spin. “Yeah. I do.” Sokka smiled and Zuko gave a small smile in return. Sokka's eyes narrowed and he squinted at Zuko. He leaned forward again, bracing his hands on his knees to keep himself upright as he peered at the prince. Zuko leaned away, caught off guard by the sudden scrutiny. “Sokka?” He was beginning to get concerned. “Is something wrong?”

“You have nice eyes.” The words sounded almost accusatory.

Zuko's good eye widened in surprise. He didn't know what he'd been expecting Sokka to say, but it would never have been that. “W-what?”

Sokka nodded, presumably to himself. “They lllook like.... gold...or honey.”

Zuko wasn't sure what to do with this sudden, perplexing non-sequitur. “Ok,” he chuckled awkwardly. “Thanks. I think you've definitely had more than enough.”

Sokka sat back on his heels and frowned. “And you're too pretty. That sshould be illegal.”

Zuko tried to diffuse the strange turn of conversation with humor. He laughed. “Well, I am a wanted man.” It didn't work. If anything, it made things worse.

Sokka wiggled his eyebrows. Zuko was surprised he still had the motor skills for it. “Damn right.”

Zuko practically choked on his own tongue and he felt his face flush with a blush. Sokka was going to be dealing with a lot more than a headache in the morning, he mused. Zuko was sure his friend hadn't drank enough to wipe his memory of all of the embarrassing things currently coming out of his mouth. He pushed himself to his feet and held out a hand to his inebriated friend. Sokka nearly pulled the the older boy down on top of him as he struggled to stand. Zuko pulled Sokka's arm around his shoulder and wrapped his own arm around his friend's waist to support him. Zuko swayed slightly, but Sokka was downright unsteady on his feet. “Let's get you to bed,” he managed to force out as Sokka's head lolled on his shoulder.

Sokka giggled. “Your room or mine?” He had the audacity to punctuate the question with a playful growl.

Zuko was sure that his face was as red as the fire nation emblem. He waved the hand not busy holding his companion up and extinguished the sconce, enveloping them in darkness. Zuko couldn't be positive, but it felt like Sokka was nuzzling into the space between Zuko's neck and shoulder. He froze, briefly unsure what to do before conjuring a small flame to light their way and choosing to ignore the inappropriate behavior and the shiver it sent down his spine. Somehow, they managed to make it up the stairs, down the hall and to Sokka's chosen room without setting anything on fire or falling over and only minimal stumbling due to Zuko half carrying the other boy. Zuko shuffled with Sokka over to the bed and swung him around.

Sokka flopped heavily onto the mattress on his back and spread his arms across the bed, a goofy grin plastered to his face. He didn't have the energy, or the strength it seemed, to sit up so he didn't bother. “We're alone.” There was silence as Zuko knelt down and began unlacing Sokka's shoes. “In my room.” He added. There was a cough from somewhere in the distance. Zuko tossed the first shoe aside and got to work on the other. Sokka's fingers were clumsy and slow to respond as he pulled at the thong tying back his wolf tail allowing his hair to spill free. “Anyyythiing could happen.”

Zuko dropped the second shoe, stood and sighed heavily. He ran a hand through his hair as he stood beside the bed. He towered over the prone boy who was busy attempting what Zuko thought was supposed to be a seductive come hither look that failed somewhat gloriously. “I really shouldn't have let you drink so much.” He looked up toward the ceiling and silently asked Agni why he kept getting himself in these kind of ridiculous situations.

Sokka forced himself to sit up.

Zuko was caught off guard as a hand fisted in the front of his tunic and pulled him down. Before he could comprehend what was happening, Sokka was pressing their lips together. Zuko closed his eyes on instinct and returned the kiss without thinking. Something in Zuko's brain seemed to have short circuited because it still hadn't quite caught up with what was happening when Sokka parted his lips and he followed suit. Sokka tilted his head slightly, fitting their lips together more tightly and slid his tongue between the fire prince's parted lips, deepening the kiss. The hand that had been clenched in Zuko's tunic shifted and began tugging at the sash tying it closed. Sokka's other hand moved up to curl into Zuko's dark, uneven hair.

It was then, half kneeling on the bed with his friends tongue in his mouth and a hand groping at his tunic belt, that Zuko's brain decided to snap back into focus. His eyes snapped open and he pulled away. Sokka tried to follow, but Zuko placed his hands on his friends shoulders and gently pushed him back down. Zuko squeezed his eyes closed. They'd been drinking. Sokka was drunk. Zuko was... confused, as always. Regardless of what either of them may have been thinking, or thought they wanted in the heat of the moment, now was not the time for... whatever this was. Zuko pulled farther away. “You should get some sleep.”

Sokka grumbled in frustration. “I don wanna ssleep. I wanna kiss you.” He sounded like a petulant child, but he was beyond being able to care.

Zuko frowned. “Sleep now, Sokka. I'm sorry, but we can't do this. I'd rather have you pissed off at me now than do something you'll regret in the morning.”

Sokka curled up on his side. “Fine jerk. But we-we're gonna have werrds, t'morrow.”

Zuko nodded. He saw himself out, quietly closing the door and made his way to his own room. Zuko tried not to think about...it, the kiss, on his way back to his room. It was impossible not to. Despite his upbringing in the fire nation it hadn't felt wrong. Actually, it was kind of...nice. Zuko hadn't given much thought over the years to relationships or attractions. He'd been rather single mindedly focused on the lone goal of hunting the Avatar for the last three years. Before that, the only fleeting interest he'd had was his childhood crush on Mai, and that was due in large part to the fact that she and Ty Lee were the only other kids around his age that he'd ever spent time with. While he'd been put off by Ty Lee's incessant bubbly attitude, Mai had seemed like someone who could understand him. He'd still liked her well enough when he'd gone home, and enjoyed the brief periods of privacy they'd had together. Now that he was thinking about it though, he found that it wasn't hard to admit that Sokka was a fairly attractive guy. Zuko enjoyed the strange friendship that had grown between them and if he was honest, Sokka was a pretty decent kisser.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly ran into Katara halfway to his room. “Careful.”

Her admonishment stopped him in his tracks. “Oh. Uh, sorry Katara.”

He made to walk around her but she held out a hand to stop him. Her eyes narrowed as she took in his rumpled cloths and disheveled hair. “Where have you been? And have you seen Sokka?”

He tried to keep the panic out of his face. The last thing he needed was for Katara to be mad at him again. “Um, I was just...taking a walk. Sokka's in his room, sleeping. You probably shouldn't disturb him.”

She quirked a disbelieving eyebrow which told him immediately that she wasn't buying his story. She leaned in close to his face, making him back away. Her brows drew down in anger and he knew he was done for. “Zuko, have you been drinking?” He opened his mouth to deny. “And don't lie to me,” she added before he could speak.

Zuko's shoulders slumped. “I might have gone to the cellars and had some plum wine.” He cast his gaze to the floor. Somehow the younger girl was able to make him feel as guilty as his uncle had at times. “I know it's not the right way to deal with things, but I needed to blow off some steam and I just wanted to forget about that stupid play. It won't happen again. I promise.” He shaped the flame with his hands and bowed to show his sincerity.

Katara's mouth was pressed into a grim line but she nodded her acceptance. “I won't pretend that I condone that kind of behavior, but I suppose I can understand. Besides, you are technically of age so I can't really tell you what you can or can't do. Still, we need everyone to be clear headed and ready for anything in the coming weeks, so I'm going to hold you to your promise. Was Sokka with you?” She gave him a hard stare.

Zuko swallowed hard. “Yes?” He winced, waiting for her rage.

“I see. And did he perhaps join you in sharing that wine?”

“He...might have.” Zuko felt bad knowing he was digging Sokka into a hole with no way out. Not only would he have a headache in the morning, but also a pissed of sister to deal with. “But, maybe just let him sleep it off for tonight? I think he maybe had a bit more than was wise.” He did he best to alleviate the situation for his friend.

Katara hummed in agreement. “Fair enough, but he'll definitely be hearing from me in the morning. Good night, Zuko.”

Zuko made it to his room and collapsed on the bed. He was asleep before he had any more time to think about what had happened.


	3. Chapter 3

Zuko woke with the sun. He grimaced. He might have escaped the hangover that came from not knowing when to stop, but it didn't spare him the awful taste in his mouth or the fuzzy feeling when he ran his tongue over his teeth. He pulled himself from his bed and rummaged though his small pack of belongings to find his toothbrush and a clean set of clothes and headed to the washroom. The sky was still the pale blue of the early dawn as he stepped outside, cleaned and dressed for the new day. He sat on the porch looking over the beach and closed his eyes in meditation. He couldn't be sure how much time had passed since he'd sat down when he heard the first stirrings of the little group inside. He opened his eyes and gauged the position of the sun. He'd been out there for maybe an hour. The door opened behind him and Aang settled down by his side, giving him barely a glance before settling into a silent morning meditation of his own. It was part of their established training routine now. Zuko would wake at dawn with the sun and usually wake Aang in turn to sit silently in meditation before joining the rest of the group for breakfast. Half an hour later Zuko was standing up stretching the cramps from his legs, Aang following behind several minutes later. He made his way to the courtyard and graciously accepted the bowl of cinnamon spiced porridge that Katara offered him. He settled into a quiet corner and ate as he watched the little group of friends bicker and laugh and tease one another. The sight made him smile as much as it made him ache. If only they could always be this happy and carefree. Zuko wasn't entirely sure why they chose to gather here in the mornings, or why Aang, Katara, and Toph preferred to sleep outside at night. He supposed that it might have had something to do with not feeling at ease inside the walls of the Fire Lord's vacation home, maybe some of it had to do with the stifling heat of summer. It didn't much matter in the end.

It wasn't until everyone else had nearly finished breakfast that Sokka finally stumbled outside clutching his head and looking like death warmed over. “What's wrong with him,” he heard Aang ask from where he sat beside Katara.

She looked up from the bowl in her hand and smirked at the newest arrival. “Good morning, Sokka.” Katara sounded cheerful, but Zuko knew she was being louder than she needed to just to amplify Sokka's discomfort. He winced in sympathy. Sokka, however, just glared daggers at his sister. “I made spiced porridge, there's still some left for you. And I think there's still plums if you want any.” She smiled overly sweetly. _Damn but she could be devious_ , Zuko thought as Sokka seemed to turn green at the mention of plums.

“Sokka? Are you sick? You don't look so good.” A wave of guilt washed over Zuko as the Kyoshi girl fussed over Sokka. He hadn't given her a single thought the night before. Zuko looked away from the tableu, ashamed and no longer hungry. How could he have forgotten that Sokka had a girlfriend? It'd been easy not to think about Mai. She might have helped them escape the Boiling Rock, but he'd broken up with her and Mai didn't forgive easily. Suki on the other hand was right there in front of him and he hadn't thought about how she would feel about what had happened at all.

“Well, Sokka? Are you okay? I hope you didn't have anything that didn't agree with you last night.” Katara's false sympathy dragged him back to the conversation. Sokka glanced accusingly at him, but all Zuko could do was shrug apologetically.

“Will someone please tell me what's going on?” Toph practically shouted, causing Sokka to clutch at his head like it was going to explode and making Katara finally take pity on her poor idiot of a brother.

“I already know so you can stop trying to hide it,” She said, getting up to guide Sokka to sit down against Appa's side.

“He ratted me out, didn't he?” Sokka sounded miserable.

Katara just chuckled. “Not in so many words. He didn't have to though. I know what a hangover looks like. Maybe now you'll think twice about getting into the wine stores.”

Toph grinned manically. “You WHAT?” She burst into a fit of laughter. “I can't believe it! Who knew you had it in you, Sokka?”

Katara sight and uncorked her water-skin. She gloved her hands in water and held them to Sokka's temples. The water glowed softly as Katara worked her healing magic.

The abrupt change in Sokka's demeanor was a testament to Katara's abilities. He threw his arms around his sister in a bear hug. “Thanks Katara. You're the best!”

Katara smiled. “Well, I suppose that you can do the dishes as a thank you then.” Sokka groaned but didn't argue. He simply took the bowl of food she offered and sat down next to Suki.

Sokka hardly glanced in Zuko's direction for the rest of the meal. When Zuko offered to help clean up as an apology for getting Sokka into trouble, the boy brushed him off. The rest of the day was fairly normal. Zuko, Katara, and Toph put Aang through his paces while Sokka and Suki discussed strategy and battle plans. The only difference that Zuko could see was that Sokka seemed to be avoiding him almost entirely. He hadn't begged for a chance to spar or even made any good natured jokes at Zuko's expense during fire-bending practice. Hell, the water tribe boy hadn't even been watching fire-bending practice the way he usually did. Instead he'd gone off somewhere with Toph. Zuko was beginning to get an uneasy feeling. A sense of dread curled in the pit of Zuko's stomach. Even though he'd tried to avoid something like this happening, he'd still managed to drive a wedge between himself and Sokka, ruining the tenuous friendship he'd managed to forge. Sokka did nothing to dispel the feeling as the day wore on and he continued to avoid the fire nation prince at every turn.

It was unexpected then, that a soft knock interrupted the fire nation teen as he was getting ready for bed. He slid the door open, slightly surprised to see Sokka on the other side. The water tribe boy shifted awkwardly on his feet. His eyes seeming to shift around uncomfortably to look anywhere but at Zuko. He smiled. Zuko frowned in disappointment at how forced the action was. Sokka rubbed the back of his neck. “Hey Zuko! Uh....look, about last night.”

The curling dread turned into a lead weight. Zuko did his best not to show his despondency with the situation. He knew that this would happen after all. Since when did good things ever happen to him? “I get it.” Zuko spoke before Sokka could say anything else. “What happened was a mistake. You were drunk and neither of us were thinking clearly and...things...” He gestured randomly “got out of hand. It's fine. We'll just pretend it didn't happen. We can go back to just being friends.” The idea that Sokka regretted what had happened twisted painfully at something inside of him but he ignored it. When he looked back at Sokka he was dumbfounded at the expression of hurt on the other boy's face.

The smile he had forced had faltered, the edges of his mouth dipping down in a frown and his brows knitting together, upset. The young warriors hands curled into fists at his sides. “You think it was a mistake.” His tone was flat and emotionless.

Alarm bells rang inside Zuko's mind. He knew he wasn't the most socially aware person in the world, but it was clear that he'd managed to say the wrong thing. “Isn't that what you were going to say?” He asked sheepishly.

Sokka looked directly at him finally, blue eyes full of hurt. “No. It wasn't.”

Zuko opened the door wider and stepped aside. “Maybe you should come in.” Sokka crossed the threshold and Zuko closed the door behind him. “So.... what did you come here to say then? You've been avoiding me all day. I figured you were, I don't know, weirded out by what happened.”

Sokka stared at him with a look of grim determination. “I wasn't avoiding you. I just... needed some time to think. I've never kissed a guy before, you know? And there's everything going on with Suki, and I just... needed some time to figure things out. And I have now, by the way. I talked to Suki, and Toph and honestly, last night was kind of nice. You know? I... I liked kissing you. I figured, we're both sober now and maybe if you were at all interested,” he shrugged, “we could try it again. See where it goes.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Sokka shrugged again. “I get it if you aren't interested. I'm not gonna push you. I don't really know how things work in the Fire Nation. In the Southern Water Tribe sometimes two girls or guys end up... being more than friends. No one really talks about it, they don't act all lovey dovey in public or anything, it's just one of those things people keep to themselves. I know the reason things are like that is because it makes some people uncomfortable. Toph and Suki both said it's pretty openly disapproved of in the Earth Kingdom. Suki said even Avatar Kyoshi was never entirely accepted because she like guys and girls the same. So... if I made you uncomfortable, I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I hope we can still be friends.” He looked apprehensively at Zuko.

Zuko looked away. “It's illegal.”

Sokka was confused by the seemingly random statement. “Huh?”

Zuko was decidedly uncomfortable as he elaborated. “Fire Lord Sozin outlawed relationships between two men or two women for being indecent and immoral.”

Sokka visibly deflated. A dejected, “Oh,” was all that he could say.

Zuko rushed to correct the assumptions he was sure were going through the other boys mind. “I don't agree with the law. It's stupid and... and I think I'd be a hypocrite if I did.” A pale blush spread across his cheeks. “I've been thinking a lot about last night too. I... I liked it. Kissing you, I mean.”

A grin tugged at Sokka's lips. “Oh really?” He moved forward and slung an arm around Zuko's shoulders. “You know, I bet it would be a lot nicer now that I'm not full of wine.” Zuko turned his face toward his friend, who wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “You know, if you're interested. Up to you.”

Zuko was flustered and slightly conflicted. “I-but... what about Suki?” He winced, knowing that bringing up the other boys girlfriend wasn't the way to move things in the direction he wanted, but also knowing that it wasn't right to ignore the fact that there was someone else in the equation that could end up hurt.

“She's surprisingly ok with it.” Sokka sounded surprised himself. “Seriously though. She wasn't even a little mad. I thought she was going to kill me, but she just said that she understood and that I should be free to explore myself.”

Zuko's frowned. “So, she broke up with you? I could talk to her if you want. Maybe I could explain...”

“No no no. We're fine. Really. It's... complicated.” Sokka hadn't thought any of this would come up, but realized it might pose a problem. “Uh... is that an issue?”

Zuko chewed his lip and shook his head. “No. I don't think I really want to deal with a relationship right now. There's too much to deal with already.”

Sokka smiled. “So it's settled then. No strings attached, we'll just, do... whatever...and see what happens from there?”

Zuko swallowed nervously. “Yeah. Ok.”

“Great.” Neither boy moved. The seconds passed excruciatingly. Zuko's eyes flickered over to Sokka and away again just as fast. What now? Things had progressed a lot more easily the night before, however poor the circumstances might have been. Without alcohol dampening their inhibitions both boys seemed reluctant to take the first step. Sokka's arm slid off Zuko's shoulder and he clenched and unclenched his hands trying to build up his own nerve. A hand slid into his stilling him. He looked over at the Zuko. In the low light of the waning moon his skin shown paler than it did in the sun, with fine features and high cheekbones and golden eyes. That word came to mind again the way it had the previous night. “You know, you really are pretty.” Zuko's lips turned down in a pout. He let go of Sokka's hand, crossing his arms, and looked away. Sokka moved in front of him so Zuko would have to look at him. “What?” He threw up his hands in exasperation.

“I'm not _pretty_.” He grumbled.

“Yeah, you are.” Sokka argued. This wasn't going the way he'd expected at all.

Zuko's eyes bored into him. “Girls are pretty. Besides, I know what I look like.” He turned his face so that the left side was most visible.

“That's just semantics. Guys can be pretty too. You should see me in a dress. And clearly you have no idea what you look like if you think that scar does a whole lot to ruin the whole attractive brooding guy look.” The fire prince's face softened slightly with the praise but he didn't quite give in. “Seriously, girls must have been fighting over you when you went home.”

Zuko practically flinched. “Not really. But... that's probably for the best. Mai can be... vindictive, and I get the feeling I'd be the one in trouble.” He bit his lip and avoided eye contact. “You really think I'm attractive?”

“Hey,” Sokka put his hands on the other boys shoulders. “I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it.”

A shy, guarded smile crept onto Zuko's lips. “Thanks. Uh.. you are too.” That seemed to be all the encouragement that the water tribe boy needed. He glanced quickly at Zuko's lips before his eyes slid closed and he was leaning in, gently tugging Zuko closer. Zuko swallowed nervously, but allowed himself to be dragged forward. His eyes slid closed as Sokka's lips met his. Zuko was frozen in panic. He didn't know what he was doing, where he should put his hands. He was pretty sure he'd stopped breathing. He should probably move his lips and reciprocate, right? This was going as badly as the end of his date with Jin. Things were easier with Mai. He didn't get awkward and flustered around her. He figured it had a lot to do with having grown up together and knowing each other so well. Jin and Sokka... he didn't know what they were expecting from him, how he was expected to act. Zuko and Sokka had gotten closer, particularly after the boiling rock, but they also shared an uncomfortable history. Zuko was so caught up in his thoughts that he nearly didn't notice Sokka pulling away.

“You aren't into this, are you?” It would have been impossible to miss the disappointment in his voice even if the low light helped hide the traces in his face.

“No! I mean- I am. I just...” Zuko blew out a breath, his shoulders drooping. “I'm not very good at this. Sorry.”

Sokka scrutinized him, leaning in and peering directly into his eyes and noting the mortification written on the older boys features. “You haven't really done this before have you?”

Zuko bristled defensively. “You haven't either.”

Sokka shook his head and waved his arms. “No, no. I don't mean with guys. I meant at all. Have you ever made out with anyone?”

Zuko crossed his arms and frowned. “Of course I have. I did have a girlfriend.”

Sokka waved dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, scary knife girl. Anyone else?” Sokka gaped at Zuko's silence. “You seriously haven't kissed anyone else?”

Zuko shifted uncomfortably. “Well, there was one other girl. In Ba Sing Se.” He avoided meeting Sokka's gaze. “Her name was Jin. Uncle set me up on a date.”

Sokka seemed intrigued, one brow quirking up in curiosity. “Oh yeah? How'd that go?”

Zuko slumped, arms falling limply to his sides. “Terrible. I couldn't relax. The whole time I was worried I'd say the wrong thing and she'd find out who I really was. When she tried to kiss me the first time I gave her a coupon for free tea.”

Sokka cringed in second hand embarrassment and then perked up as he found a silver lining. “You said first time. So, that means she at least gave you a second chance not to mess things up, right?”

Zuko shrugged. “I guess. She had me close my eyes and kissed me. I... kind of kissed her back I guess, but it didn't seem right. She thought she was kissing Lee, not me.”

Sokka tapped his chin in thought. “Fair enough. I think I know your problem. You're thinking too much.” Zuko glared at him, but Sokka continued before he could do much more than open his mouth. “Not about the girl. You didn't want to kiss her while you were lying to her. I respect that, good on you. But look, you aren't lying to me, right?”

“No.”

“And you are interested in doing this?”

“Yes?” Zuko was beginning to lose his patience.

“Then stop thinking and just... do what feels right. It's not a competition, I'm not here to judge. Just loosen up and be yourself.

Zuko pressed his lips together in a grim line. He took a deep steeling breath and closed his eyes searching for the calm peace he was able now to grasp when he meditated. He stiffened momentarily when Sokka's lips met his but he cast aside his self doubt and tried to relax. His hands rose and settled on Sokka's hips, pulling the other boy closer. Sokka's lips were soft and pliant, but his body was all lean muscle, hard and unyeilding. It was... different than what he was used to... but not by any means unpleasant. Actually, it was kind of nice, comfortable. He could feel himself relaxing into the kiss, parting his lips at the slightest provocation from Sokka. A hand tangled itself in his shaggy hair while an arm wrapped around his neck. Several seconds later the lips were gone and Zuko's eyes were fluttering open, wondering why they'd stopped. Sokka was smirking. “You aren't half bad when you're not wrapped up in your own head.” A faint smile answered him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a possibility that I will write a separate chapter that would continue with the smutty stuff. It would be a stand alone work though so that anyone who doesn't want to read that kind of thing can still enjoy the story. I'm still unsure if this will happen since I am not sure I would be able to write it well.


End file.
